The Job Hunt: Networking Through Social Media

Recently, Debra Rizzi had the opportunity to dedicate her time and present to Bucknell University Class of 2019 and Alumni Board Members. Debra shared her tips, pitfalls, and possible scenarios for finding an internship using social media.

The Job Hunt: Networking Through Social Media

With the national unemployment rate currently coming in at 4.0% through January of 2018, Americans are turning to social media to not only find a job, but also to vet potential candidates during the interviewing process.

According to a survey that was conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in January of 2016, LinkedIn was cited as the most used recruitment channel (96%), followed by Facebook (66%), and Twitter (53%). With 106 million monthly active users on LinkedIn, and 2 people joining every second*, who wouldn’t want to utilize a tool that connect you to your next dream job?

In February, Rizco’s president, Debra Rizzi was invited by Bucknell University’s Career Development Center to present to Bucknell’s Junior Class about “Networking in Social Settings” as they prepare for internship and job searching.

During the presentation, she emphasized that, “Utilizing social media for a job search can be a powerful advantage. What candidates don’t realize is that personal branding, including imagery, tone, and quality content, plays a large role in influencing first impressions. (Yes, an image is worth a thousand words!) As a result, candidates need to create a strategy, tie their online brand to their professional goals, and then utilize their online network to its fullest.”

So, what are some of the tricks per social channel?

First, have you Googled yourself lately? Ensure that all of the results for images, videos, and news are matching the image that you want to publicly portray.

LinkedIn: Make sure your profile is complete; and use measurement in your case studies to prove how you move the needle. (See Deb’s LinkedIn)

Facebook: Avoid political and controversial comments/content. Don’t assume that all privacy settings are bulletproof.

Twitter: Follow the companies that you are considering for employment; and network through Twitter chats.

Fun Facts: Social Media in the Workplace

30 to 40 percent of employee Internet activity is non-work-related, according to International Date Corporation (IDC) Research.

According to CareerBuilder.com, eight percent of employers report that they’ve fired people for using the Internet for non-work-related activity (such as shopping online or checking out Facebook, for example) during the workday and 18 percent have dismissed employees because of something they posted on social media.

Once you get the job, how do you keep it? “The answer is simple … keep your non-work-related social media to a minimum, keep your content clean, and ensure that you know your company’s technology policies as soon as you are hired so you can follow them from day one,” Rizzi summed up.